Evacuated rotating envelope aircraft

Abstract

An aircraft utilizes a buoyant evacuated rotating envelope to provide at least a portion of the lift required. The rotating envelope may be in the form of a disk, cylinder or other suitable shape. In one embodiment, an evacuated rotating envelope in the form of a disk is utilized. The disk is provided with a central core tube with at least one jet engine mounted therein. The deflection of the exhaust causes rotation of the envelope. A non-rotating payload compartment is mounted to the rotating envelope by bearings. Structures are provided for deflecting the exhaust to be utilized for lateral propulsion as well as for stabilizing the payload compartment to prevent rotation. Two other embodiments utilize rotating cylinders which may be rotated either by a jet engine mounted within a core tube or by an off center jet engine which drives the cylinder. In all of the embodiments, the envelope is evacuated by pumps and the centrifugal force of rotation reduces the amount of necessary mechanical structure to maintain the envelope shape. Accordingly, an evacuated envelope may be utilized with a minimum of weight required to maintain its structural rigidity.

I claim: 
     
       1. An aircraft wherein lift is provided by means of a buoyant, at least partially evacuated, rotating envelope, including a motor for causing said envelope to rotate, wherein the envelope's resistance to inward force of ambient atmospheric pressure is provided at least in part by centrifugal force acting outwardly on the envelope as a result of the envelope's rotation. 
     
     
       2. An aircraft in accordance with claim 1 wherein said motor for causing said envelope to rotate is attached to said rotating buoyant evacuated envelope and rotates with said envelope. 
     
     
       3. An aircraft in accordance with claim 2 wherein said motor for rotating said envelope provides sufficient force to rotate said envelope against the force of air friction acting on the external surface of said envelope. 
     
     
       4. An aircraft in accordance with claim 1 wherein shape, displacement and aspect ratio of said envelope is selectively changed dynamically during flight to optimize said envelope for varying flight requirements and conditions. 
     
     
       5. An aircraft in accordance with claim 1 including evacuating means and pressurizing means for evacuating and pressurizing said envelope. 
     
     
       6. An aircraft in accordance with claim 1 wherein the shape of said envelope is capable of being dynamically changed while the aircraft is in flight. 
     
     
       7. An aircraft in accordance with claim 1 wherein a lifting force is provided to the aircraft by means for evacuating said envelope to provide a lighter-than-air buoyant envelope. 
     
     
       8. An aircraft in accordance with claim 1 wherein a lifting force is provided by said envelope which is shaped in the form of an airfoil which is caused to move in lateral motion through the atmosphere producing lift. 
     
     
       9. An aircraft in accordance with claim 1 wherein said rotating envelope is in the form of a disk. 
     
     
       10. An aircraft in accordance with claim 1 wherein said rotating envelope is in the form of a disk mounted on a central core tube, said central core tube having an axis of rotation coincident with the axis of rotation of said disk, said central core tube being adapted to elongate to enable expansion of said disk in the direction of its axis. 
     
     
       11. An aircraft in accordance with claim 1 including at least one pump adapted and connected to evacuate air from said envelope or pump air into said envelope wherein the pressure inside said envelope is varied to accommodate differing flight conditions. 
     
     
       12. An aircraft wherein lift is provided by means of a buoyant, evacuated, rotating envelope, including an engine for rotating said envelope, and including means for dividing output air and exhaust of said engine into multiple flow streams for the purpose of creating a rotating torque force on the engine. 
     
     
       13. An aircraft in accordance with claim 12 wherein said means for dividing the output air and exhaust issuing from said engine into multiple flow streams includes deflection means mounted in the output air and exhaust of said engine. 
     
     
       14. An aircraft wherein lift is provided by means of a buoyant, evacuated, rotating envelope, including means for rotating said envelope to provide a centrifugal force on exterior material of said rotating envelope whereby the need for and weight of mechanical support structures to withstand the inward force of external atmospheric pressure is reduced. 
     
     
       15. An aircraft wherein lift is provided by means of a buoyant, evacuated, rotating envelope, including means for rotating said envelope about an axis normal to the direction of lateral motion of the aircraft during flight thereby exposing the leading edges and surfaces of said envelope to aerodynamic heating caused by contact with atmosphere during only a portion of each rotation of said envelope. 
     
     
       16. An aircraft wherein lift is provided by means of a buoyant, evacuated, rotating envelope, including an engine for rotating said envelope, said engine and envelope being connected together such that they corotate. 
     
     
       17. An aircraft wherein lift is provided by means of a buoyant, evacuated, rotating envelope, wherein lifting forces are provided by one or more engines which are structured and adapted to direct air thrust in a downward direction. 
     
     
       18. An aircraft wherein lift is provided by means of a buoyant, evacuated, rotating envelope, wherein lifting forces for the aircraft are provided by said envelope being caused to rotate such that reaction forces realized from air flow leaving the surface of said rotating envelope produce a momentum of downward air flow which is greater than the momentum of upward air flow. 
     
     
       19. An aircraft in accordance with any of claims 7, 8, 17 or 18 wherein the amount of lift produced is selectively varied dynamically during flight of the aircraft. 
     
     
       20. An aircraft wherein lift is provided by means of a buoyant, evacuated, rotating envelope, including a non-rotating payload compartment mounted by means of bearings to said rotating envelope. 
     
     
       21. An aircraft in accordance with claim 20 wherein said payload compartment is provided with means for counteracting rotation of said payload compartment. 
     
     
       22. An aircraft in accordance with claim 20 wherein said non-rotating payload compartment is provided with jets for enhancing lateral movement of the aircraft during flight. 
     
     
       23. An aircraft wherein lift is provided by means of a buoyant, evacuated, rotating envelope; said rotating envelope being in the form of a disk mounted on a central core tube, said central core tube having an axis of rotation coincident with the axis of rotation of said disk, said central core tube being adapted to elongate to enable expansion of said disk in the direction of its axis; and,   a non-rotating payload compartment mounted to said central core tube and provided with means for reducing friction between said central core tube and said non-rotating payload compartment.   
     
     
       24. An aircraft wherein lift is provided by means of a buoyant, evacuated, rotating envelope; said rotating envelope being in the form of a disk mounted on a central core tube, said central core tube having an axis of rotation coincident with the axis of rotation of said disk, said central core tube being adapted to elongate to enable expansion of said disk in the direction of its axis; and,   a jet engine mounted within said central core tube, a divider plate mounted in an exhaust flow path of said jet engine and one or more exhaust deflector plates mounted in said exhaust flow path for causing said envelope and core tube to rotate.   
     
     
       25. An aircraft wherein lift is provided by means of a buoyant, rotating envelope; means for at least partially evacuating said envelope;   a non rotating payload compartment; and,   means for rotating said envelope to provide a centrifugal force on material comprising said envelope whereby the need for and weight of mechanical structures to withstand the inward force of external atmospheric pressure is reduced.   
     
     
       26. An aircraft in accordance with claim 25 wherein said means for rotating said envelope is attached to said rotating buoyant evacuated envelope and rotates with said envelope. 
     
     
       27. An aircraft in accordance with claim 26 wherein said means for rotating said envelope provides sufficient force to rotate said envelope against the force of air friction acting on the external surface of said envelope. 
     
     
       28. An aircraft in accordance with claim 25 wherein shape, displacement and aspect ratio of said envelope may be changed dynamically during flight to optimize said envelope for varying flight requirements and conditions. 
     
     
       29. An aircraft in accordance with claim 25 wherein said means for rotating said envelope includes an engine for rotating said envelope and means for dividing engine output air and exhaust of said engine into multiple flow streams for the purpose of creating a rotating torque force on the engine. 
     
     
       30. An aircraft in accordance with claim 29 wherein said means for dividing the output air and exhaust issuing from said engine into multiple flow streams includes deflection means mounted in the output air and exhaust of said engine. 
     
     
       31. An aircraft in accordance with claim 25 including pressurizing means for pressurizing said envelope. 
     
     
       32. An aircraft in accordance with claim 25 wherein said means for rotating said envelope rotates said envelope about an axis normal to the direction of lateral motion of the aircraft during flight thereby exposing the leading edges and surfaces of said envelope to aerodynamic heating caused by contact with atmosphere during only a portion of each rotation of said envelope. 
     
     
       33. An aircraft in accordance with claim 25 wherein said means for rotating said envelope includes an engine, and said engine for rotating said envelope and said envelope are connected together such that they corotate. 
     
     
       34. An aircraft in accordance with claim 25 wherein the shape of said envelope may be dynamically changed while the aircraft is in flight. 
     
     
       35. An aircraft in accordance with claim 25 wherein a lifting force is provided by said envelope which is caused to move in lateral motion through the atmosphere producing lift. 
     
     
       36. An aircraft in accordance with claim 25 wherein lifting forces are provided by one or more engines which are structured and adapted to direct air thrust in a downward direction. 
     
     
       37. An aircraft in accordance with claim 25 wherein lifting forces for the aircraft are provided by said envelope being caused to rotate such that reaction forces realized from air flow leaving the surface of said rotating envelope produce a momentum of downward air flow which is greater than the momentum of upward air flow. 
     
     
       38. An aircraft in accordance with any of the claims 35 through 37 wherein the amount of lift produced is selectively varied dynamically during flight of the aircraft. 
     
     
       39. An aircraft in accordance with claim 25 wherein said non-rotating payload compartment is mounted by means of bearings to said rotating envelope. 
     
     
       40. An aircraft in accordance with claim 39 wherein said payload compartment is provided with means for counteracting rotation of said payload compartment. 
     
     
       41. An aircraft in accordance with claim 39 wherein said non-rotating payload compartment is provided with jets for enhancing lateral movement of the aircraft during flight. 
     
     
       42. An aircraft in accordance with claim 25 wherein said rotating envelope is in the form of a disk. 
     
     
       43. An aircraft in accordance with claim 25 wherein said rotating envelope is in the form of a disk mounted on a central core tube, said central core tube having an axis of rotation coincident with the axis of rotation of said disk, said central core tube being adapted to elongate to enable expansion of said disk in the direction of its axis. 
     
     
       44. An aircraft in accordance with claim 43 including said non-rotating payload compartment mounted to said central core tube and provided with means for reducing friction between said central core tube and said non-rotating payload compartment. 
     
     
       45. An aircraft in accordance with claim 43 wherein said means for rotating said envelope is a jet engine mounted within said central core tube, and a divider plate mounted in an exhaust flow path of said jet engine and one or more exhaust deflector plates mounted in said exhaust flow path for causing said envelope and core tube to rotate. 
     
     
       46. A process for reducing the amount of leading edge heating caused by an aircraft as claimed in claim 1 traveling through ambient atmosphere at a speed sufficient to generate significant leading edge heating, comprising the steps of: providing said rotating envelope in the form of a rotatable disk shaped airfoil;   causing said rotatable disk shaped airfoil to travel laterally through the atmosphere wherein leading edge heating occurs on the periphery of the rotatable disk shaped airfoil only during a portion of each rotation of said airfoil where said portion is in the direction of flight; and,   providing a cooling period for said portion of said airfoil previously subjected to heating for the remainder of each rotation.